Wednesday 22 February 2006
The Royal Yachting Association Scotland (RYAS) has received a sportscotland capital injection of £299,750 that will benefit sailors of all levels and from coast to coast.
The investment, of which £171,750 is sportscotland Lottery funding, will support key areas of the governing body's business plan including medal success and the high-performance programme, boat replacement, coaching and staffing, and volunteer and club development.
Sports Minister Patricia Ferguson said: "This funding will support Scotland's elite sailors as they strive for success at the highest level whilst investing in new young talent that will grace the waves in top competitions of the future. Funding will also be directed at young people who live in areas not traditionally associated with sailing, providing new opportunities to participate in this exciting sport."
The RYAS, which represents all disciplines of sailing - from dinghies to motor cruising, schools to clubs and ocean racing to windsurfing - boasts over 8,000 members. There are 121 RYA recognised training centres in Scotland and over 150 clubs with more than 19,000 active participants. The investment funding will give the RYAS the means to build on previous successes and strengthen the structure and support to sailing clubs and centres, encourage participation and place more sailors on the Olympic and world stage.
Britain is the world's leading sailing nation, and sailing is Britain's most successful sport for Olympic medals. Scottish sailors, led by double gold medallist Shirley Robertson, play a major part in this success. At the elite level, £137,000 of sportscotland's investment will come from the medal success programme. This funding will target the classes of Optimist, Topper, Laser Standard, Laser Radial, 420, 470 and Finn. The award will provide a coordinated programme for the high-level juniors within the Scottish squads and a programme of additional support for members of GBR squads to assist them to compete in events worldwide. Included in this is Athlete Support funding. This high-performance programme is managed by the governing body, on behalf of the athletes, to contribute to coaching, training and competition costs.
Scottish squads train all winter on weekends at the sportscotland National Centre Cumbrae as part of their 52-week programme; the summer programme primarily consists of additional coaching and sailing competitions and events. The RYAS utilises a pool of experienced racing coaches, the majority of them being ex-national squad sailors.
"The support from sportscotland is vital and extremely valuable; it allows new, young sailors to enter the sport and ensures that Scottish sailing retains its world-class status"
In 2005, five Scottish sailors were selected for the Scottish Institute of Sport: Charlotte Dobson (Laser Radial Class), Callum MacDonald (470 Class), Matthew Day (470 Class), Mark Andrews (Finn) and Luke Patience (470 Class). All five are members of the RYA GBR Olympic squads. A further eight sailors were selected in October 2005 for the Area Institutes. The RYA design fitness training regimes, which the Scottish Institute and its Area counterparts help to deliver, and give lifestyle advice to the sailors. This set-up complements the skill-based coaching of sailing that they receive in RYAS and GBR squads. The acceptance of sailors into the Scottish and Area Institutes marks another step in the raising of sailing's profile within sport in Scotland.
By investing in the whole of the sport's infrastructure, the RYAS also aims to encourage people to become more active at the recreational level. Central to the planning, implementation and management of the governing body's development plan is the role of the development manager. A priority of this work is to forge close links with clubs in all disciplines and provide the best possible sailing experience for a wide range of members, including a structure for children who wish to continue in the sport. Key to this is the Sailing in the City initiative. Launched in June 2004, the scheme aims to make sailing more accessible to children aged between 8 and 14 across Scotland. The initiative gives youngsters the opportunity to try sailing as locally as possible. A total of 1,800 children took part in Sailing in the City last year, including a visit by the project to young sailors in the Outer and Inner Hebrides.
The development manager also continues to work closely with the team15 windsurfing initiative, Powerboat Scotland and the Scottish University Sailing Association as well as sailing clubs across the country to assist and support at a grassroots level, to help raise club profiles and to make sure training standards are being maintained and that safe practice - such as first aid and child protection procedures - is taking place.
Agnes Barclay, Chief Operating Officer, RYAS, said: "The support from sportscotland is vital and extremely valuable; it allows new, young sailors to enter the sport and ensures that Scottish sailing retains its world-class status.
"Hundreds of children across the country will be introduced to sailing in 2006 as our Sailing in the City initiative continues to expand. Also, ever-increasing numbers of Scottish, world-class sailors are expected to achieve success, thanks to our sportscotland funded training programme.
"This year's investment will allow us to build on the successes of 2005 by increasing participation and raising our national and international sailing performances to new heights."
Julia Bracewell OBE, Chair, sportscotland, said: "sportscotland is delighted to invest £299,750 in RYAS to allow them to continue to develop and expand their organisation and to get people of all ages in Scotland actively participating in yachting, boating, windsurfing and cruising.
"Innovative programmes such as Sailing in the City and further enhancement of coaching education are boosting interest in and commitment to all the on-the-water disciplines, while medal success funding is already improving the performance of Scottish sailing stars of the future."
- Athlete Support funding supports the training and preparation programmes for elite athletes who have demonstrated the potential to win medals or equivalent, in significant international competition and events.
- A list of the athletes benefiting from the athlete support is detailed below. Athlete Support funding is now largely administered through the governing body.
- All athletes who receive Athlete Support will also be supported by the sportscotland medical scheme.
- Along with sportscotland Inverclyde, Largs Yacht Haven, Largs Sailing Club and RYA Scotland, Cumbrae forms the Scottish Sailing Institute. This facility, across from the seaside town of Largs, is available for major regattas and as a training venue for competitive sailors.
- RYA Scotland has national squads together with three area squads. The area squads meet in a variety of places for training during the winter, and are centred in the north, east and west.
- Photos to accompany the press release are available from the RYAS.
Identified athletes receiving Athlete Support funding
420 Class - Team GBR
Irwin, Peter, LINLITHGOW EH49 6HA
Sterritt, Fynn, KINGUSSIE PH21 1HB
Laser Class - Team GBR
Calder, Callum, EDINBURGH EH4 5AN
Dobson, Anna, HELENSBURGH G84 8LF
Steele, Cameron, GLASGOW G63 0YL
470 Class - Team GBR/Olympic Development Squad
Day, Matthew, NORTH BERWICK EH39 4BL
MacDonald, Callum, DUMBARTON G82 5LS
Patience, Luke, HELENSBURGH G84 8LL
Laser Radial Class - Team GBR/Olympic Development Squad
Dobson, Charlotte, HELENSBURGH G84 8LF
Finn Class - Team GBR/Olympic Transitional Squad
Andrews, Mark, LARGS KA30 9PF
Total Athlete Support: £36,000
